Geneva, Switzerland (PANA) - The German Government will double its funding to UNAIDS in 2017-2018, to 5 million per year, Gerd Müller, the German Federal Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development, assured on Tuesday at the 40th Meeting of the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board, being held in Geneva, Switzerland.

“With Germany, we have a common goal of ending AIDS and a shared commitment to strengthen health systems and improve the health and well-being of people across the world,” said Michel Sidibé, the Executive Director of UNAIDS. “We warmly welcome Germany’s support and its recognition of the important role that UNAIDS plays in ending AIDS and in broader global health and development efforts.”

“UNAIDS is an important partner for Germany’s health and development agenda, particularly in Africa. Increased investment in UNAIDS and the AIDS response will have a multiplier effect on the wider Sustainable Development Goal agenda,” highlighted Müller, in a speech at the 27-29 June meeting.

He said that Germany has prioritized health on the global development agenda and under its current Presidency of the Group of Twenty (G20).

“Ending AIDS is a historic goal and I firmly believe we can reach it. We have to increase our joint efforts and UNAIDS is central to that work,” said Hermann Gröhe, The German Minister of Health.

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) leads and inspires the world to achieve its shared vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths.

UNAIDS unites the efforts of 11 UN organizations - UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, UN Women, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank - and works closely with global and national partners towards ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals.
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